rl.thebourneultimatum-第168章

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atever　they　were；　they　were　being　obeyed！　The　multitude　gradually；　then　gathering　momentum；　began　reversing　direction…then；　as　a　single　unit；　started　racing　back　into　the　street！　Benjamin　ignited　his　flare　and　waved　it；　pointing　to　the　north。　He　was　sending　Jason　his　own　signal。　Not　only　was　the　tunnel　shut　down　but　the　crowds　were　being　dispersed　without　anyone　being　shot　with　the　AK…47。　There　had　been　a　better　way。
　Bourne　dropped　to　the　ground；　his　eyes　scanning　the　under　sides　of　the　stationary　vehicles；　the　spewing　flame　beyond　lighting　up　the　open　spaces。　。。。　A　pair　of　legs…in　boots！　Behind　the　third　automobile　on　the　left；　no　more　than　twenty　yards　from　the　break　in　the　fence　that　led　to　the　tunnel。　Carlos　was　his！　The　end　was　at　last　in　sight！　No　time！　Do　what　you　have　to　do　and　do　it　quickly！　He　dropped　his　weapon　on　the　gravel；　gripped　the　grenade　in　his　right　hand；　pulled　the　pin；　grabbed　the　。45　with　his　left　hand　and　lurched　off　the　ground；　racing　forward。　Roughly　thirty　feet　from　the　car　he　dived　back　down　into　the　gravel；　turned　sideways　and　heaved　the　grenade　under　the　automobile…only　at　the　last　instant；　the　small　bomb　having　left　his　hand；　realizing　that　he　had　made　a　terrible　error！　The　legs　behind　the　car　did　not　move…the　boots　remained　in　place；　for　they　were　just　that；　boots！　He　lunged　to　his　right；　rolling　furiously　over　the　sharp　stones；　shielding　his　face；　curling　his　body　into　the　smallest　mass　he　could　manage。
　The　explosion　was　deafening；　the　lethal　debris　joining　the　whirling　beams　of　the　searchlights　in　the　night　sky；　fragments　of　metal　and　glass　stinging　Jason's　back　and　legs。　Move；　move！　screamed　the　voice　in　his　mind's　ears　as　he　lurched　to　his　knees；　then　to　his　feet　in　the　smoke　and　fire　of　the　burning　automobile。　As　he　did　so　the　gravel　erupted　all　around　him；　he　zigzagged　wildly　toward　the　protection　of　the　nearest　vehicle；　a　square…shaped　van。　He　was　hit　twice；　in　his　shoulder　and　thigh！　He　spun　around　the　wall　of　the　van　at　the　precise　moment　when　the　large　windshield　was　blown　away。
　〃You're　no　match　for　me；　Jason　Bourne！〃　screamed　Carlos　the　Jackal；　his　automatic　weapon　on　rapid　fire。　〃You　never　were！　You　are　a　pretender；　a　fraud！〃
　〃So　be　it；〃　roared　Bourne。　〃Then　e　and　get　me！〃　Jason　raced　to　the　driver's　door；　yanked　it　open；　then　ran　to　the　back　of　the　vehicle　where　he　crouched；　his　face　to　the　edge；　his　Colt　。45　angled　straight　up　next　to　his　cheek。　With　a　final　hissing　expulsion；　the　flare　beyond　the　fence　burned　itself　out　as　the　Jackal　stopped　his　continuous　fire。　Bourne　understood。　Carlos　faced　the　open　door；　unsure；　indecisive　。。。　only　seconds　to　go。　Metal　against　metal；　a　gun　barrel　was　rammed　against　the　door；　slamming　it　shut。　Now！
　Jason　spun　around　the　edge　of　the　van；　his　weapon　exploding；　firing　into　the　Spanish　uniform；　blowing　the　gun　out　of　the　Jackal's　hands。　One；　two；　three；　the　shells　flew　in　the　air…and　then　they　stopped！　They　stopped；　the　explosions　replaced　by　a　sickening；　jamming　click　as　the　round　in　the　chamber　failed　to　eject。　Carlos　lurched　to　the　ground　for　his　weapon；　his　left　arm　limp　and　bleeding　but　his　right　hand　still　strong；　clutching　the　gun　like　the　claw　of　a　crazed　animal。
　Bourne　whipped　his　bayonet　out　of　its　scabbard…　and　sprang　forward；　slicing　the　blade　down　toward　the　Jackal's　forearm。　He　was　too　late！　Carlos　held　the　weapon！　Jason　lunged　up；　his　left　hand　clasping　the　hot　barrel…hold　on；　hold　on！　You　can't　let　it　go！　Twist　it！　Clockwise！　Use　the　bayonet…no；　don't！　Drop　it！　Use　both　hands！　The　conflicting　mands　clashed　in　his　head；　madness。　He　had　no　breath；　no　strength；　his　eyes　could　not　focus…the　shoulder。　Like　Bourne　himself；　the　Jackal　was　wounded　in　his　right　shoulder！
　Hold　on！　Reach　the　shoulder　but　hold　on！　With　a　last；　gasping　final　surge；　Bourne　shot　up　and　crashed　Carlos　back　into　the　side　of　the　van；　pummeling　the　wounded　area。　The　Jackal　screamed；　dropping　the　weapon；　then　kicked　it　under　the　vehicle。
　Where　the　blow　came　from；　Jason　at　first　did　not　know；　he　only　knew　that　the　left　side　of　his　skull　seemed　suddenly　split　in　two。　Then　he　realized　that　he　had　done　it　to　himself！　He　had　slipped　on　the　blood…covered　gravel；　and　had　crashed　into　the　metal　grille　of　the　van。　It　did　not　matter…nothing　mattered！
　Carlos　the　Jackal　was　racing　away！　With　the　rampant　confusion　everywhere；　there　were　a　hundred　ways　he　could　get　out　of　Novgorod。　It　had　all　been　for　nothing！
　Still；　there　was　his　last　grenade。　Why　not？　Bourne　removed　it；　pulled　the　pin；　and　threw　it　over　the　van　into　the　center　of　the　parking　area。　The　explosion　followed　and　Jason　got　to　his　feet；　perhaps　the　grenade　would　tell　Benjamin　something；　warn　him　to　keep　his　eyes　on　the　area。
　Staggering　and　barely　able　to　walk；　Jason　started　for　the　break　in　the　fence　that　led　to　the　guardhouse　and　the　tunnel。〃　Oh；　God；　Marie；　I　failed！　I'm　so　sorry。　Nothing！　It　was　for　nothing！　And　then；　as　if　all　Novgorod　were　having　a　final　laugh　at　his　expense；　he　saw　that　someone　had　opened　the　iron　gates　to　the　tunnel；　giving　the　Jackal　his　invitation　to　freedom。
　〃Archie　。。。　？〃　Benjamin's　astonished　voice　floated　over　the　sounds　of　the　river；　followed　by　the　sight　of　the　young　Soviet　running　out　of　the　guardhouse　toward　Bourne。　〃Christ　almighty；　I　thought　you　were　dead！〃
　〃So　you　opened　the　gates　and　let　my　executioner　walk　away；〃　yelled　Jason　weakly。　〃Why　didn't　you　send　a　limousine　for　him？〃
　〃I　suggest　you　look　again；　Professor；〃　replied　a　breathless　Benjamin　as　he　stopped　in　front　of　Bourne；　studying　Jason's　battered　face　and　bloodstained　clothing。　〃Old　age　has　withered　your　eyesight。〃
　〃What？〃
　〃You　want　gates；　you'll　have　gates。〃　The　trainer　shouted　an　order　toward　the　guardhouse　in　Russian。　Seconds　later　the　huge　iron　gates　descended；　covering　the　mouth　of　the　tunnel。　But　something　was　strange。　Bourne　had　not　actually　seen　the　lowered　gates　before；　yet　these　were　not　like　anything　he　might　have　imagined。　They　appeared　to　be　。。。　swollen　somehow；　distorted　perhaps。　〃Glass；〃　said　Benjamin。
　〃Glass？〃　asked　a　bewildered　Jason。
　〃At　each　end　of　the　tunnel；　five…inch…thick　walls　of　glass；　locked　and　sealed。〃
　〃What　are　you　talking　about？〃　It　was　not　necessary　for　the　young　Russian　to　explain。　Suddenly；　like　a　series　of　gigantic　waves　crashing　against　the　walls　of　a　huge　aquarium；　the　tunnel　was　being　filled　with　the　waters　of　the　Volkhov　River。　Then　within　the　violence　of　the　growing；　swirling　liquid　mass；　there　was　an　object　。。。　a　thing；　a　form；　a　body！　Bourne　stared　in　shock；　his　eyes　bulging；　his　mouth　gaped；　frozen　in　place；　unable　to　disgorge　the　cry　that　was　in　him。　He　summoned　what　strength　he　had　left；　running　unsteadily；　twice　falling　to　his　knees；　but　gathering　speed　with　each　stride；　and　raced　to　the　massive　wall　of　glass　that　sealed　the　entrance　beyond　it。　Breathlessly；　his　chest　heaving；　he　placed　his　hands　against　the　glass　wall　and　leaned　into　it；　bearing　witness　to　the　macabre　scene　barely　inches　in　front　of　him。　The　grotesquely　uniformed　corpse　of　Carlos　the　Jackal　kept　crashing　back　and　forth　into　the　steel　bars　of　the　gate；　his　dark　features　twisted　in　hate；　his　eyes　two　glass　orbs　reviling　death　as　it　overtook　him。
　The　cold　eyes　of　Jason　Bourne　watched　in　satisfaction；　his　mouth　taut；　rigid；　the　face　of　a　killer；　a　killer　among　killers；　who　had　won。　Briefly；　however；　the　softer　eyes　of　David　Webb　intruded；　his　lips　parted；　forming　the　face　of　a　man　for　whom　the　weight　of　a　world　he　loathed　had　been　removed。
　〃He's　gone；　Archie；〃　observed　Benjamin　at　Jason's　side。　〃That　bastard　can't　e　back。〃
　〃You　flooded　the　tunnel；〃　said　Bourne　simply。　〃How　did　you　know　it　was　him？〃
　〃You　didn't　have　an　automatic　weapon；　but　he　did。　Frankly；　I　thought　Krupkin's　prophecy　was…shall　we　say…borne　out？　You　were　dead；　and　the　man　who　killed　you　would　take　the　quickest　way　out。　This　was　it　and　the　uniform　confirmed　it。　Everything　suddenly　made　sense　from　the　'Spanish'　pound　down。〃
　〃How　did　you　get　that　crowd　away？〃
　〃I　told　them　barges　were　being　sent　to　take　them　across　the　river…about　two　miles　north。　。。。　Speaking　of　Krupkin；　I've　got　to　get　you　out　of　here。　Now。　e　on；　the　helicopter　pad's　about　a　half　a　mile　away。　We'll　use　the　jeep。　Hurry　up；